1. Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a refrigerator having an apparatus to produce carbonated water.
2. Description of the Related Art
A refrigerator, which generally includes a storage compartment to store food and a cool air supply unit to supply cool air, is a home appliance used to keep food fresh. Depending on a user demand, the refrigerator may be provided with an ice making unit to make ice, and a dispenser allowing the user to reach water or ice at the outside of the refrigerator without opening the door of the refrigerator.
The refrigerator may be further provided with a carbonated water production unit to produce carbonated water. The carbonated water production unit includes a carbon dioxide gas cylinder to store high-pressure carbon dioxide gas, and a carbonated water tank to mix the carbon dioxide gas with water to produce carbonated water.
The carbonated water produced in the carbonated water tank is moveable to an external dispenser space through the dispenser such that the user reaches the carbonated water outside the refrigerator without opening the door.
However, the carbon dioxide gas cylinder and the carbonated water tank are generally arranged inside a storage compartment of the refrigerator. As a result, a tube connecting the carbonated water tank to the dispenser is long, and thereby the taste of the carbonated water may be changed as concentration of the carbonated water is changed during passage through the tube along which the carbonated water moves to the dispenser.
Furthermore, when the carbon dioxide gas cylinder is replaced with a new one, food stored in the storage compartment may need to be moved to a different position, resulting in inconvenience in replacement of the carbon dioxide gas cylinder.